Port of Cleveland Looks To Be More Collaborative Under New Leadership

Jeff Epstein has already had an impact on Cleveland, helping design Mayor Justin Bibb’s economic resurgence in action strategy as the city’s chief of integrated development. Before that, he got a degree in public policy from Duke University and attended law school at Georgetown University. In October, he transitioned to president and CEO of the Port of Cleveland, aiming to have a greater impact on major regional opportunities, including lakefront redevelopment, addressing the housing crisis and fostering job growth.

Community Leader: Your new role was previously held for many years by William Friedman, and more recently under interim leadership. What do you see as your biggest opportunities to put your own mark on the Port?

Jeff Epstein: It’s really about the opportunity to take an organization that has done a ton of good work and amplify it and have even more of an impact on some of the major opportunities for our region right now in terms of lakefront redevelopment, in terms of tackling the housing crisis, in terms of growing jobs. There are a lot of opportunities for the Port to play an even larger role in those areas.

CL: Leading Port of Cleveland blends business, civic leadership and public accountability. What is your leadership style?

JE: I’m a collaborative leader. I thrive in building and working in teams that collaborate to solve complex problems, both within the organization and across the civic and business ecosystem. And I think what’s really important right now is ensuring that we have alignment between the Port and the Metroparks and the city and the county and Team NEO and other important players on solving and dealing with the major challenges that are in front of Northeast Ohio, and working collaboratively to do that.

CL: What advantages does the Port offer that companies may not be fully leveraging?

JE: That’s a twofold question. First, the Port has many favorable financing opportunities for businesses that are looking to grow in Northeast Ohio. Using tax-exempt bonds or a casual bond is a means of financing. I also think the Port has an opportunity to help with logistics and transportation.

CL: What is the value of international partnerships, such as Ireland’s Shannon Foynes Port?

JE: There’s huge value in all the international partnerships that the Port brings and opening up the opportunity for more transactions through the Port, whether it is materials coming in to be made into finished products in Cleveland or finished products going out. We will certainly be continuing to look to add more opportunities for international growth and development. We’re at a point where we’re going to see a lot more reshoring of jobs. To the extent that the Port can be helpful in providing more opportunities for us to bring raw materials in and ship finished goods out, we’ll certainly be exploring that.

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